Apple Yanks So-Called 'Gay Cure' App from iTunes Store

Posted 03/23/2011 at 7:21am | by Paul Lilly

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Apple is taking a mulligan on approving what some are calling a 'Gay Cure' app from iTunes after more than 100,000 people signed an online petition to have it removed, The Baltimore Sun reports. The app was created by Exodus International, which has ministries that "provide support for individuals who want to recover from homosexuality," according to the organization's website. So how did it get approved in the first place?

That's a good question, made even more puzzling by the fact the app had a 4+ approval rating from Apple's app store, which is for apps that "contain no objectionable material."

"No objectionable content? We beg to differ," the petition reads. "This new iPhone app is the latest move in Exodus' dangerous new strategy of targeting youth. In light of the recent wave of LGBT youth suicides, this tactic is particularly galling as it creates, legitimizes, and fuels the ostracism of LGBT youth by their families. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, LGBT teens who experienced negative feedback from their family were 8 times more likely to have attempted suicide, 6 times as vulnerable to severe depression, and 3 times more likely to use drugs (Caitlin Ryan, San Francisco State University, June 2009)."

On its website, Exodus International said it created the app with the "hope to reach a broader demographic and readily provide information that is crucial for many seeking hope and encouragement." And according to Jeff Buchanan of Exodus International, it isn't a 'gay cure' app at all, but an attempt to "provide the information and education for people who are looking for an alternative to unwanted same sex attractions."